When I was in college, it seemed easy to work towards changing the world. There were rallies and prayer meeting to go to. There were places to volunteer at. There were clubs to join and causes to support. Now that I'm in mom-world I realize that changing the world must look a lot different than it used to. It's not about rallies or volunteering long hours. It's about the little things--the small choices I make for my family every day. Moms in young growing families like mine are probably some of the largest consumers there are. We buy all the food, clothes, and toys for our family. We are buying our first homes and buying furniture and decor to go with them. We buy and consume so much! I hope to be responsible with my purchases by buying from companies that are socially and environmentally conscious. I have also been working on my family's eating habits for the past 3 years. When we got married we were given this book as a gift:

It has defined our food philosophy. It is a Mennonite cookbook based on the idea that in the midst of a world food shortage Americans need to eat less and eat smarter. The introduction states, "There is a way which gives not less but more. More joy, more peace, less guilt; more physical stamina, less overweight and obesity; more to share and less to hoard for ourselves."

Here are some of the key ideas from the book:
1) Eat less meat and dairy (or none at all).
Americans eat twice the recommended daily allowance of protein and most of it is from meat and dairy products. The problem with animal sources of protein is that the animals must be fed large amounts of feed and must also use land for grazing/living. It is a better use of resources to use the land just to grow grain, beans and vegetables than it is to grow the food, feed it to the animal, wait for the animal to grow and convert the food into meat.

2) Avoid processed and convenience foods. Highly processed food often means chemical additives, higher prices, and wasteful packaging. Instead, celebrate the joy of simple meals made with wholesome ingredients.

3) Eat more whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Good for you and for the world!

The book is full of useful statistics, charts, and ideas to help you reduce waste and eat smarter. Many of the meals are also simple to make, one dish deals. Here is an example of one of the recipes in it that I love:

Baked Lentils With Cheese

(look at all this goodness you could be putting in your body for dinner tonight)

Preheat oven to 375. In a 9x13 pan combine: 

1 3/4 cup lentils

1 cup of long grain rice

3 3/4 cup water

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp each marjoram, sage, thyme

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups canned diced or crushed tomatoes

Cover tightly and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and stir in:

2 large carrots, sliced

2 stalks of celery, sliced

Bake covered for 40 minutes. Stir in:

1 green pepper, chopped

Top with 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Bake  uncovered 5 minutes and ta-da!

 The best part is the only dishes you have afterwards are a knife, cutting board, and casserole dish.